Archive for the Artists Category


Yuri Anime: Cutie Honey Universe (English)

October 22nd, 2018

I finally had a chance to sit down and finish up the Cutie Honey Universe anime, streaming on HIDIVE (where apparently all the Sentai Films series stream, finally!) And, well, honestly, I think it was a darn near perfect iteration of this classic magical-girl adventure. The main story echoes the original manga pretty closely through the first half. Honey’s father is killed, Saint Jogakuen is attacked by Panther Claw, many people die. But in the second half, the series takes a new tack…and I really like it.

For one thing, in this version we get the very gay Aki Nastuko we’ve always deserved. Seduced by Inspector Genet, in love with Honey, this Na-chan is the right one. It was with no surprise, therefore, that we couldn’t keep her. :-(

Inspector Genet / Sister Jill was perfect. Perfect. Obsessed, evil, manipulative…absolutely perfect.

I’ve been watching Cutie Honey for a couple of decades and I’m gonna have to say – this was exceedingly close to what I would call the “ultimate” Cutie Honey. It doesn’t even end with the school in smoking ruins and dead bodies everywhere, so that has to count for something. 

Ratings:

Art – 10 
Story – 10
Characters – 10
Service – 10
Yuri  – 9

Overall – 10

While I still have dreams of butchy Na-chan of Cutie Honey-a-Gogo! and Honey getting together, Cutie Honey Universe runs a close second.





Rose of Versailles Manga, Volume 14 (ベルサイユのばら)

October 21st, 2018

Begun in 1972, in the pages of Margaret magazine, Riyoko Ikeda’s historical epic of the French Revolution has finally come to an end. The final chapters of Rose of Versailles, Volume 14 (ベルサイユのばら), follows the last of the players on the stage of this drama.

The volume follows Rosalie, the commoner rescued from poverty and death by Oscar Francois de Jarjayes, and given entré into French noble society, adopted by a lady of Marie Antionette’s court and, finally, happily married to former thief, now revolutionary Bernard Chatelet. As the final days of the revolution wear on, the revolutionaries turn on one other and Bernard is caught and killed.  Rosalie and her son escape Paris with the the help of Girodel and eventually find their way to Sweden, where Hans Axel von Fersen’s star has ascended. Given shelter in Fersen’s home, his sister Sophie is not overjoyed to have them there, but is kind enough.

Rosalie’s son Francois (named after Oscar) enters university, where he is befriended by Fabian Nobel and is kept closely informed of revolutionary thinking in their adopted country. When the young king of Sweden falls from his horse, rumors say it was an assassination attempt – and that Fersen was involved. 

Tensions rise as the Swedish people demand an end to royal rule, Fabian and Francois are caught up in the riots. Francois saves Fabian, but Fersen is pulled from his carriage and beaten to death by a lynch mob. A few months after his death, his name was cleared and Fersen was given a state burial.

The book ends with the succession of Swedish King Oscar 1 in the mid-19th century. Rosalie, now an old woman, reminisces about the people she loved and lost, including her beloved Oscar. That’s the only Yuri in this book – her eternal affection for the woman who changed her life and for whom she fell, very hard.

She dies peacefully and is reunited once again with her husband, Bernard. 

With that, the last person involved in the narrative of Rose of Versailles passes out of even the fictitious realm of existence. 

It helped – as it always does- to have Wikipedia open as I read this volume. Today’s review is brought to you by the entry on Hans Axel von Fersen. And, in the way the universe has of giggling at me, one of Marie Antoinette’s necklaces was unveiled just yesterday for the first time, (this video is in French) before it was auctioned off. Here’s another article (in English) about the jewelry that will be auctioned.  I don’t think it is too much of a stretch to imagine just how many people these jewels might have fed when you look at what they go for now. 

As we look back at 40+ years of Rose of Versailles, I think it’s safe to say that was exactly the story – we were never supposed to sympathize with Marie Anthoinette. The nobles could have, at any time, simply eased up on the commoners and would have almost immediately averted a revolution, but they never even considered it. As we sit precariously balanced in between rapacious capitalism and oligarchy, we’re looking at a mirror, however darkly tinted, not all that much distorted. It’s not a fun place to be, when we are reminded that even the heroes of this story died ugly.

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 8 Strikingly historical when it can be
Characters – 8 I always liked Rosalie

Overall – 8

Rose of Versailles is over, but history moves on. And there are so, so many tears in both.

 





Yuri Manga: Yagate Kimi ni Naru, Volume 6 (やがて君になる)

October 18th, 2018

In Yagate Kimi ni Naru, Volume 6 (やがて君になる), the story comes to a climactic moment, with an expected twist.

It is, at last, time for the school festival and with it, Touko’s Student Council is putting on an original play, finally fulfilling her late sister’s unrealized dream. Unusually, we are allowed to see the entire play, including the scene where Sayaka plays amnesiac Touko’s now-forgotten lover. Immediately rumors begin to spread, but they move though the scene to the conclusion of the play; in which the protagonist decides against choosing any of her former lives, instead preferring to create a new self into which she can grow. The play is a rousing success. Touko’s parent’s reaction to it all is very interesting, and I hope we’ll be privy to a conversation between Touko and her family discussing that reaction.

But, as far as the main story goes, there’s only one reaction Touko cares about. When she and Yuu finally have a moment alone, Yuu makes heartfelt confession – she can no longer remain the same as she was, as she had promised. And, more devastatingly, she has realized that she is in love with Touko.

Touko, who had resigned herself to keeping their relationship in stasis, is thrown into a high state of confusion. Where they will end we cannot say (well, okay, obviously we can. It was abundantly clear from the first page of this series it was meant to be a romance. As I noted in my review of the first volume back in 2016, “The first [criticism I had of V1] is that it is presented as a romance. The story is apparently that we’ll side with Touko as her sincere feelings for Yuu are eventually returned.” So, yeah, obviously it has been heading in this direction from the very beginning. Which I’m still kind of sad about. I would really have preferred to have Yuu as a rare aromantic manga protagonist. Oh well.

Setting that aside, as a romance goes, this story is taking time to alleviate my concern that Yuu would be swayed merely by the force of Touko’s affection for her. That, at least, has not manifested. 

Now Yuu and Touko will have to see if their feelings can match one another’s, and then see if they can build a relationship on those feelings.

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 8 
Characters – 8
Yuri – 5
Service – 1

Overall – 8

The play was actually quite good – as well as terrifyingly accurate.

In the meantime, I’m still watching Sayaka, whose role in the play has effectively outed her to the whole school. I hope she will find her way through all this. (I am currently reading another novel by Iruma Hitoma, I’m ever more concerned for her novel, I hope they are up to conveying her as fully developed character.)





Otona no Hattatsu Shougai Kamoshirenai!? Manga / おとなの発達障害かもしれない! ?

September 23rd, 2018

In 2017, Morishima Akiko-sensei published a comic essay in which she speaks at length about living with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).  Otona no Hattatsu Shougai Kamoshirenai!?  (おとなの発達障害かもしれない! ?), which translates to something like, “Is it possibly an adult development disorder!?” is a comic essay which her details her struggles working, her diagnosis, drug treatment – even family history. It’s an unprecedented look at extremely personal issues, and exactly the kind of thing that makes for a powerful and compelling comic essay. (It’s exactly the kind of thing East Press is putting out now – My Lesbian Experience With Loneliness is probably their best-selling book so far, but they’ve been really digging in and publishing a lot of these personal confidentials about topics we don’t talk about – depression, AHDH, sexuality, gender, abuse, and the like.)

In this volume, we begin with Morishima-sensei’s description of concentration issues, energy highs and lows and other behaviors symptomatic of ADHD. After she did some research on the disorder, she researched clinics, until she found one that seemed like a good choice for her. Once she had her diagnosis, she then embarks on drug and behavioral therapy. More difficult, she moves in with her injured mother, as she’s attempting to work out a dosage schedule that suits her work and her body. Living with her mother makes her aware that her developmental disorder comes from a family medical history of this and similar issues. 

Much of the book is taken up with Morishima-sensei looking at episodes from her childhood with fresh eyes and realizing now what drove her behaviors then. There is a touching part where she “outs” herself as a Yuri manga artist and admits to loving drawing girls so very much.

Luckily for Morishima-sensei, she has two friends with children who have ADHD and are able to provide her with perspective and common ground (and a much-needed sense that whatever-this-new-thing-is is not abnormal.)  By the end of the manga, she’s reconnected with friends, as well. In one of the most encouraging endings to a comic essay I’ve seen, we see her at her drawing table, approaching her work one panel, then one more, then another.  

This is, without exception, the cutest book about ADHD ever. I originally picked it up because I like Morishima-sensei, but it was such a good book that I couldn’t put it down. I’m going to add these two panels to my screensaver to remind me of her resolve and re-engage my own.

 

Ratings:

Overall – 9

It was my very genuine pleasure to be able to spend a few hours once again with Morishima-sensei last spring and she looked great. (Which has nothing to do with health, as we all know.) I wish her all the very best. Once again, an impressive manga from the pen of Morishima Akiko-sensei.





Yuri Manga: Oya ga Urusainode Kouhai (♀) to Gizoukekkonshitemite (親がうるさいので後輩(♀)と偽装結婚してみた。)

September 13th, 2018

Today we’re looking at Oya ga Urusainode Kouhai  to Gizoukekkonshitemite (親がうるさいので後輩(♀) と偽装結婚してみた。) by Kodama Naoko. Compared to her last series, NTR: Netsozou Trap, this isn’t problematic at all, but that doesn’t meant there aren’t problems! ^_^;

Machi is a fairly typical office worker. She’s got a male co-worker who keeps regaling her with tales of domestic bliss with his girlfriend and questions about her own future. Doesn’t she want to get married? Machi doesn’t particularly want to get married, but her parents aren’t listening. They are pounding her with eligible men and demanding she do the right thing. Machi is painfully aware that her parents have always demanded she do what will embarrass them least and she’s always acquiesced. But not this time.

Machi’s roommate and kouhai, Hana, thinks she has a solution. Shibuya is now offering same-sex partnership certificates. If they sign up, then Machi’s parents will have to get off her back, right?  Unsurprisingly, Machi’s parents do not feel that this acceptable and they are instead very rude to Hana, which finally forces Machi to take a stand. She demands her parents apologize to Hana, and the two women leave. 

But if the idea of a fake same-sex marriage of convenience isn’t going to bother us, then the idea that the actual relationship between Hana and Machi is horribly unfair, is just fine. (-_-) 

Because Hana is actually in love with Machi. And Machi is, but has no idea she is. Yes, she likes that Hana is there when she gets home, that there’s food and companionship. She’s pleased that Hana’s design business is taking off, but she’s taking her time figuring out that Hana means more to her than just a roommate. 

It’s not until Hana goes out to drink and speak with a former girlfriend that Machi finally groks her own feelings. But now, she’s got to cope with the embarrassment she’s feeling. She’s legitimately embarrassed at how’s she treated Hana, BUT, because if Kodama-sensei can’t make us feel uncomfortable, she’s not doing her job, apparently, Machi’s even more embarrassed because she’s has no idea what a same-sex relationship should be like. When Hana starts to make love to her, Machi immediately reacts with detachment, so Hana backs off. Hana’s the real hero here – she understands Machi in a way that Machi herself has no clue about. And, unlike “nice” guys everywhere, she’s very clear right from the very beginning about her interest in Machi, so there’s no confusion AND she accepts Machi’s boundaries without question.

Slowly, Machi unravels her discomfort, her embarrassment, her emotional armor and Hana’s perfectly content to be there with supportive love. As the story ends, we can see them with a relationship that is no longer a sham.

A second story about an athlete in a slump and the best friend who is there for her is nice, and reinforced the problematic narrative of “just wait and eventually they’ll come around to noticing you.”

I enjoyed this volume, despite the fact that the plot drivers aren’t really appropriate in the real world. 

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 7
Characters – 9 for Hana
Service – 2 Some light romance/sexual discomfort
Yuri – 7
LGBTQ – 4 Mention of the real-world same-sex partnership certificates, but no discussion around it

Overall – 7

In comparison to her previous work it was a light-hearted gag, a comedy movie, a lark.